Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Recipe with a Red Currant Gravy

Slow roasted lamb shoulder with roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and green beans.

Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder Recipe with a Red Currant Gravy

I think lamb is the perfect meat for Sunday lunch and a slow roasted shoulder is my favourite cut, I make an anchovy, thyme and mint rub. The juices from the roast form the basis of a fantastic pot and red currant gravy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword Roast Lamb Leg, Roast lamb with Gravy, slow roasted lamb shoulder, Whole Roast Lamb Shoulder

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Resting Time 30

Total Time 4 40

Servings Servings

Calories 437kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

For the Lamb:

2.25 kg Whole Lamb Shoulder (Bone-In) 5lb
3 Sprigs Rosemary
5 g Fresh Mint (Including stalks)
4 Anchovy Fillets (in oil)
1 tablespoon Oil (oil from the anchovies is perfect)
2 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Medium Onions 300g
250 ml Water 1 Cup

For the Gravy:

250 ml Ruby Port 1 Cup
2 tablespoon Red Currant Jelly 35g
Salt (as required)
2 tablespoon Cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
2 tablespoon Water

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven as high as you can get it!

Score the top surface of the lamb to a depth of around 5mm (¼") in a cross-hatch pattern 25mm (1") apart.
Strip the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary and add them to a pestle and mortar (or mini blender).
Roughly break up the mint, including the stalks and add them to the rosemary
Add the anchovies, oil, salt and pepper to the pestle and mortar and pound to create a paste.
Rub the paste into the lamb, making sure that you push it into the cuts you made earlier.
Cut the onions into 1½cm (just over ½") rings and add them to the bottom of a large roasting tin. Don't bother peeling them!
Place the lamb on a trivet in the roasting tin, and place it in the oven (as hot as it will go) and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lamb from the oven, and turn the temperature down to 150°C or 300°F.
Pour the water into the base of the baking tray, making sure that it does not come up higher than the base of the lamb. Tightly cover with tin foil and return it to the oven for 3½-4 hours.

I like to remove the foil for the last 20-30 minutes, baste the lamb with the juices and turn the heat up to 180°C or 350°.

This is also an ideal time to add any roasted vegetables to the oven.

10-12 minutes before the lamb is ready to come out of the oven, place a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a high heat, add the port for the gravy and reduce by two-thirds.
Remove the lamb cover it with foil and rest for 30 minutes.

After the lamb has rested, you should be able to just twist and pull out the shoulder bone, which will make it much easier to carve.

Strain the juices from the lamb into the saucepan with the port, and add the red currant jelly and boil hard, reducing by another third to a half, which will take around 15 minutes. Taste for salt and add as required.
If you want a thicker gravy, mix the cornflour with water and whisk it into the gravy just before serving.

I like to add half a teaspoon of gravy browning to my gravy; it is controversial with some, so make your own choice. It has no impact on the flavour, but it adds a beautiful, rich colour.

Nutrition